Widening of road not needed

Published: Friday, July 18, 2008 at 10:32 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 18, 2008 at 10:33 a.m.

Flat Rock Village Council ought to rescind a resolution supporting the widening of the Greenville Highway through part of the village business district.

The job has the makings of an expensive unnecessary project ó a highway department ďsolutionĒ wandering aimlessly in search of a problem.

The state Department of Transportation wants to spend $250,000 to widen N.C. 225 to create left turn lanes at Little River Road and West Blue Ridge Road and realign the intersection of Little River Road and N.C. 225. DOT engineers say the turn lanes are needed to relieve congestion at the intersections, handle anticipated increases in traffic and remove the potential for wrecks.

ďAnytime you can remove left-turning vehicles from through traffic, it reduces accidents, particularly rear-end collisions,Ē said DOT engineer Mark Gibbs.

But the people who use the intersections the most, the residents of Flat Rock, know thereís no need for the project because there is no congestion. They say they donít expect traffic to increase enough over the next several years to warrant the change. They called the project an ďabominationĒ that would ruin the villageís historic ambience.

ďI am very concerned of the precedent it sets for potential widening projects throughout the village,Ē said Charles Kuykendall, president of Historic Village of Flat Rock Inc.

DOT engineers say the completion of the Singleton Centre across the highway from the village post office will generate more traffic, and that a right turn lane is needed for traffic entering it.

Property owner Jane Singleton says the turn lane isnít needed. But thatís a fight between the DOT and Singleton that the village ought to stay out of.

Besides, the Singleton Centre will only contain five small business offices ranging from 800 to 1,200 square feet. Thatís hardly a development that will generate heavy traffic.

Particularly surprising is the councilís threat to use eminent domain to force Bill and Mary Garrison to sell eight feet of their frontage on the west side of Greenville Highway. The Garrisons have said they wonít sell the land willingly. The property houses his dental practice, the post office and a couple other shops. (Disclosure: Mary writes a monthly column for this page.)

Just a few years ago, a previous village council was adamant that the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site be expanded only if all the land came from willing sellers.

Now, for a project that most of its residents would consider a much a lower priority, the Village Council is set to take commercial property in the middle of town by force of law. Itís nonsense.

We can understand the council supporting the realignment of Little River Road to make it perpendicular to N.C. 225. But thatís the only part of the project that needs to be done. Council members ought to listen to village residents and red flag this unnecessary job. It should tell the DOT to move ahead with the Little River Road safety improvement but otherwise leave N.C. 225 alone.

<p>Flat Rock Village Council ought to rescind a resolution supporting the widening of the Greenville Highway through part of the village business district.</p><p>The job has the makings of an expensive unnecessary project  a highway department solution wandering aimlessly in search of a problem.</p><p>The state Department of Transportation wants to spend $250,000 to widen N.C. 225 to create left turn lanes at Little River Road and West Blue Ridge Road and realign the intersection of Little River Road and N.C. 225. DOT engineers say the turn lanes are needed to relieve congestion at the intersections, handle anticipated increases in traffic and remove the potential for wrecks.</p><p>Anytime you can remove left-turning vehicles from through traffic, it reduces accidents, particularly rear-end collisions, said DOT engineer Mark Gibbs.</p><p>But the people who use the intersections the most, the residents of Flat Rock, know there’s no need for the project because there is no congestion. They say they don’t expect traffic to increase enough over the next several years to warrant the change. They called the project an abomination that would ruin the village’s historic ambience.</p><p>I am very concerned of the precedent it sets for potential widening projects throughout the village, said Charles Kuykendall, president of Historic Village of Flat Rock Inc.</p><p>DOT engineers say the completion of the Singleton Centre across the highway from the village post office will generate more traffic, and that a right turn lane is needed for traffic entering it.</p><p>Property owner Jane Singleton says the turn lane isn’t needed. But that’s a fight between the DOT and Singleton that the village ought to stay out of.</p><p>Besides, the Singleton Centre will only contain five small business offices ranging from 800 to 1,200 square feet. That’s hardly a development that will generate heavy traffic.</p><p>Particularly surprising is the council’s threat to use eminent domain to force Bill and Mary Garrison to sell eight feet of their frontage on the west side of Greenville Highway. The Garrisons have said they won’t sell the land willingly. The property houses his dental practice, the post office and a couple other shops. (Disclosure: Mary writes a monthly column for this page.)</p><p>Just a few years ago, a previous village council was adamant that the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site be expanded only if all the land came from willing sellers.</p><p>Now, for a project that most of its residents would consider a much a lower priority, the Village Council is set to take commercial property in the middle of town by force of law. It’s nonsense.</p><p>We can understand the council supporting the realignment of Little River Road to make it perpendicular to N.C. 225. But that’s the only part of the project that needs to be done. Council members ought to listen to village residents and red flag this unnecessary job. It should tell the DOT to move ahead with the Little River Road safety improvement but otherwise leave N.C. 225 alone.</p>